Practical Stress Analysis & Finite Element Methods

An opportunity to ensure that your organization gets maximum benefit from using FEA

3-Day Training Course 

April 30th - May 2nd, 2008

FEA has become widely used and universally accepted in many industry sectors. In order to derive maximum benefit from the available technology, engineers should learn about the many strengths of numerical techniques. At the same time, recommendations on how to avoid the inevitable pitfalls will prove invaluable at a later date.

NAFEMS, the only vendor neutral, not-for-profit organization with the aim of promoting the effective and reliable use of FEA, addresses this requirement by providing this three day example-driven, practical course. The course offers excellent guidance on how to judge which approximations are acceptable and appropriate for solving a wide range of practical problems. Of equal importance is the manner in which the results are interpreted. Advice is provided which allows the correct decisions to be taken, based on results which are known to be reliable. Interaction is encouraged throughout the course, with the planning and design of a complete FEA project and examples of simple hand calculations, mesh designs and solution designs being set for the class to complete. The course is completely code independent.

Who Should Attend?

This course is aimed at practicing engineers who wish to learn more about how to apply finite element techniques to their particular problems in the most effective manner. The material that is presented is independent of any particular software package, making it ideally suited to current and potential users of all commercial finite element software systems. This course is a must for all engineers aiming to use FEA as a reliable predictive tool for thermal, stiffness and stress analysis.

The course is open to both members and non-members of
NAFEMS.

Course Program

Day 1

• Basic Theory of FEA
• Direct Stress and Strain
• Shear Stress and Torsion
• Bending Stress
• Thermal Stress Effects
• Stress Concentration Effects
• Fatigue and Impact
• Properties of Materials
• Stiffness Calculations
• Units and Unity Bracket

Day 2

• Introduction to 1D FEA
• Introduction to 2D Methods
• 2D Plane Stress/Plane Strain
• 2D Axi-Symmetric Problems
• Introduction to the Real World in 3D
• Example of Simple 3D Analysis
• Processing of 3D CAD Data
• Preparing CAD Data for Analysis
• Fast and Accurate Meshing Methods

Day 3

• Design of Loading and Constraints
• Representative Material Properties
• Results Interpretation/Verification
• Balanced Loads/Minimal Constraint
• Non-Linear Considerations
• Introduction to Plasticity in FEA
• Introduction to Contact in FEA
• Best Practice in Industry
• Getting Help When Things Go Wrong

Course Tutor

Bob Johnson has presented courses on behalf of NAFEMS for over 10 years, and is recognized as one of the leading figures in the engineering analysis community in the UK. Bob is a well-respected consultant with a wealth of industrial experience.

His lively presentation style puts over the key concepts in a manner which involves participants fully in the course material.

He is also a qualified NAFEMS Registered Analyst at Advanced Level. In addition to being a regular contributor at international conferences, Bob is also a member of the NAFEMS Education & Training Working Group and Technical Editor of the BENCHmark magazine .

The course will initially be held in Troy, MI, but can be offered as an "in-house" course. The course will be held in different locations around the world over the coming months.

Location

The Management Education Center,

Eli Broad Graduate School of Management,

811 West Square Lake Road

Troy, MI 48098

www.mectroy.com

Hotel Information

To accommodate out of town guests, the MEC has negotiated special rates with nearby hotels. There is no official room block for this event, but the following hotels are recommended due to their close proximity to the MEC.   

Embassy Suites, Troy
850 Tower Drive
Troy, MI 48098
248-879-7500

Hilton Detroit/Troy
5500 Crooks Road
Troy, MI 48098
(248) 879-2100

Radisson Hotel Detroit - Bloomfield Hills
39475 N. Woodward
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304
(248) 988-2842

For additional hotels with negotiated rates in the Troy area, please visit the MEC website .

Directions

Directions to the MEC from Detroit Wayne Airport (DTW)

NAFEMS Travel Policy: NAFEMS is not responsible for the purchase of non-refundable airline tickets or the cancellation/change fees associated with canceling a flight. Please call to confirm that the course is running before purchasing airline tickets. NAFEMS retains the right to cancel a course up to 3 weeks before scheduled presentation date.

Contact the Organizer

If you are interested in attending this course, please contact the organizer, Matthew Ladzinski, using the form below, or call NAFEMS North America at 1-704-248-2628.